When I was a kid, I loved monsters. All of them, no matter how frightening or friendly. For some reason they were more of a popular item for toy makers and they seemed to be intentionally geared towards kids. From the 60's up through the early 90's, they were everywhere. I remember owning Universal Monsters action figures, the Monster Maker playset, I also remember rubber monsters you could buy in bulk and many of the mainstream toys had monster lines of popular characters. It was like a wonderland for early horror lovers, before we knew what real horror was. As I started to get a little older, I was introduced to Fangoria magazine and other horror publications. My world opened up even more, to the true movie madmen and what special effects had to offer. Blood, guts and gore became something I knew existed. It was no longer into cute little action figures and playsets, now it was melting men, pig headed chainsaw wielders and a life sized Freddy Krueger poster behind my bedroom door. They were everywhere and all consuming. Luckily, I had a mother who knew that I was a level headed kid, who just enjoyed the creepiest things the world had to offer. She supported whatever I was into and loved me and never looked down on me or questioned my sanity. Halloween was the best time of the year though. As that was the one time of year, I could let my freak flag fly and no one would bat an eye. They were all just as enamored with the world of the macabre as I was. It was my version of Christmas. All of this, ironically, still rings true today. That brings us up to where I am now. A man with a shared blog, that delves into our mutual love of horror and everything that goes bump in the night. The real question is, what does this have to do with this blog post? Well, let me explain....
One of my favorite horror themed toys, as a kid, were Madballs. What are Madballs, you ask? See the first picture posted at the beginning of this article for reference. They were baseball sized toys, designed to look like various creatures. With no holds barred designs, they featured veins, goop and blood. Each one of them representing a different frightening figure. Not necessarily pointed at any one particular classic monster, but more just creepy in their own way. This toy line was so incredibly popular, that it spawned additional releases of new Madballs. It also birthed an animated series and a series of comic books. Over the years, it's seen other incarnations and re-releases of new characters. There was just something about these wacky little orbs, that made kids (and adults) love them. In the past couple of weeks, I saw an article about another edition of these toys that was being made available to the public. Horror icon Madballs! Exclusively at Best Buy, these new designs featured famous monsters like Leatherface, Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, the Predator, a Face Hugger and an Alien. Priced at $9.99 each, they're available in certain stores and online. It made me feel like a kid again, to see these little guys. Nostalgia is a powerful thing. It reminds us who we are and also keeps that flame alive, for the things we love. Whomever thought of this idea, to bring back a classic toy in a new way, kudos to you. Not only are these well thought out, but they're pretty dang cool too. I have to admit, I'm interested. Now, I'm waiting for the time when the toy aisles are all littered again with more movie monsters and not just ones that are aimed at adults. I'd like to see the next generation taking the same roads I traveled, that led me to where I am today. A monster kid, in an adult body, who loves horror in all its forms.
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